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Do I need a separate nature permit for an offshore wind farm now that the Omgevingswet is in force?

Answered only from public sources you can open. Sources as of 20 Sep 2026; each passage carries its own retrieval date.

AI answer written only from the numbered passages below

The passages describe that a kavelbesluit issued after 1 January 2024 must also address Omgevingswet considerations that previously sat in the Nature Protection Act (Wet natuurbescherming) 12. In practice, according to Rijksoverheid, the nature and environmental-quality tests are folded into that same instrument rather than requiring a separate permit track 1. The kavelbesluit itself is taken under the Wet windenergie op zee, after studies on grid connection, ecology, shipping safety, defence radar, fisheries and other sea-use conflicts and an environmental impact report (MER) 2. Offshore wind and mining/energy projects remain governed primarily by their own sectoral acts, the Wet windenergie op zee and the Mijnbouwwet 1.

Not in the sources: The passages do not say whether any separate nature-related permit can still be required in specific cases, nor do they address permits for activities outside the kavelbesluit.

Cited passages

  1. Passage 1: Relevance offshore

    Offshore wind and mining/energy projects are governed primarily by their own sectoral acts (Wet windenergie op zee, Mijnbouwwet), but a kavelbesluit issued after 1 January 2024 must also address Omgevingswet considerations that used to sit in the Nature Protection Act — in practice, nature and environmental-quality tests are now folded into the same instrument rather than requiring a separate permit track.

    The Omgevingswet (Environment and Planning Act): permits in one lawRijksoverheid.nl · rijksoverheid.nl · retrieved 18 Sep 2026

  2. Passage 2: Preparation steps

    Noordzeeloket, the government's North Sea information portal, describes how a wind farm site is prepared before it is tendered: the site is first designated inside a wind energy area in policy documents (the North Sea Programme / national water programme), studies then assess grid connection, ecology, shipping safety, defence radar, fisheries and other sea-use conflicts, an environmental impact report (MER) is produced, and the outcome is fixed in a kavelbesluit under the Wet windenergie op zee, which since 1 January 2024 also carries considerations under the Omgevingswet (before that date, the Nature Protection Act, Wet natuurbescherming).

    How a kavelbesluit (offshore wind site decision) is preparedNoordzeeloket (Rijkswaterstaat / RVO / EZK North Sea information portal) · noordzeeloket.nl · retrieved 18 Sep 2026

Sources consulted

  1. The Omgevingswet (Environment and Planning Act): permits in one lawRijksoverheid.nl · rijksoverheid.nl · retrieved 18 Sep 2026 · cited
  2. How a kavelbesluit (offshore wind site decision) is preparedNoordzeeloket (Rijkswaterstaat / RVO / EZK North Sea information portal) · noordzeeloket.nl · retrieved 18 Sep 2026 · cited

General information from public sources, not legal advice. Passages are our own-words summaries of the linked publications; follow the link for the authoritative text.

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